One of our favorite Latin-American filmmakers is back with an exciting & thought-provoking project named “Head Like a Hole” which houses much more than your average skate video. So, what does a media platform do when it sings such high praises? Well, we can’t speak for all of them, but we chose to ask some (uncomfortable) questions. Enjoy!
Project by Matias Henriquez.
Text & Interview by Roland Hoogwater.
It has been a minute since we had a chat. How have you been and what have you been up to?
A lot has happened. I moved to Barcelona, and honestly, it changed my life in so many ways. When I first came here about a year and a half ago, I wasn’t really in the best situation. So I’ve been taking my time—not just to settle into life here, but also to sort out my legal and financial situation in Europe, which hasn’t been easy. But overall, it’s been worth it. I’ve met some incredible people along the way.
Our first encounter was for the release of your Requiem project. How do you look back on that project?
I look back at REQUIEM with a lot of love, even though I have to admit it’s the project I like the least. At that time, I had so many ideas in my head, and REQUIEM ended up being a mix of all of them. So in a way, it feels like a strange project to me. Don’t get me wrong, I had an amazing time making it, even if it was stressful at times. More than anything, it showed me that I was capable of actually creating something instead of just thinking about it.
After that came REGRESSION. What did it take for you to make a video after the success of the last one?
Well, it was honestly super shocking to me, because it was the first project I’d done that reached so many people. It took me a bit more time, and with the experience from REQUIEM, I realized what I didn’t want to carry into my work from that point on. More than anything, it took a lot of self-conviction.
REGRESSION literally starts with a three-minute intro of an animated rat talking, and it’s supposed to be a skate video. I was honestly shitting my pants, thinking, “Who the fuck is gonna sit through a skate video where a rat talks about existential stuff for three minutes?” (laughs).
” I really don’t like talking about the “meaning” of my work. I think it’s way more interesting when the viewer draws their own conclusions.”
Before we get into the video that we are presenting today, do you do a lot of audio/visual work besides the skate videos? It seems like your style of making edits really lends itself well to other types of work.
Yeah, I do a lot of audio/visual work outside of skate videos. It’s always been my dream to work in the cinema industry, so I’m always experimenting with editing, sound, and animations. Anything that helps me tell stories better. For the last two years, I’ve been working with a collective called Arcticwide in their creative area, and I’ve also done projects for brands and companies, which has been a great way to explore different styles.
Skating was just the context I started in, but honestly, what drives me is the creative side, using visuals and sound to create a feeling or atmosphere. Skate videos are just the space where I get to try those ideas out.
With three years between your first and newest video, now with “Head Like a Hole” what motivated you this time around?
To be honest, what motivated me this time was the idea of saying goodbye to skate videos. I’ve explored everything I wanted to in that world, and it’s time for me to move on. This project felt like a way to close that chapter and give it a proper send-off. Now, I’m really excited to focus on the cinema industry and explore new ways of telling stories, experimenting with visuals and sound in ways I haven’t before.
It feels like you always have something to say with your work. Why is that? Where did this idea of trying to communicate more than just the skating come from?
Skating was the only thing I had to express myself. I’ve always used skate videos to throw out what I wanted to say. Saying something, instead of just making tricks look cool, felt way more interesting to me. That’s the best part about skateboarding. You can do whatever the fuck you want. So why not make skate videos that touch on social, political, or existential ideas, while showing someone doing insane stuff on a piece of wood?
Lastly, what are some of the takeaways (idea-wise or visually) that you want the viewer to walk away with after watching “Head Like a Hole”?
I really don’t like talking about the “meaning” of my work. I think it’s way more interesting when the viewer draws their own conclusions. That said, I’d like to say that it would be amazing if we, as humans, could stop being so hypocritical and self-centred. The way we consume everything is grotesque, and even more grotesque is the idea that the virtual space somehow helps us make a real change. Truth is, we stay the same, or it is possible we are even worse people than we were 100 years ago.
Thank you for choosing to work with us over the years, Matias. We are excited to see more from you in the future!
Thank you for having me.
